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10 MY SOMALI BOOK to learn new things, and wonderfully bright and in- telligent. He is untiring on the march, often a reckless hunter, and will stand b}^ his master splendidly." And again, " I have made many jmigle trips in India and elsewhere, yet in no country have I had such obedient and cheerful followers and such pleasant native companions, despite their faults, as in Somali- land." This estimate is every bit as true as the other. The Somali of the interior is not, as a rule, dishonest, though he can be an exasperating liar on occasion. And he is usualty decent in his dress. Naturally indolent, he prefers to see the women do the work, but he has plenty of energy when he chooses to give it exercise, and in this respect is seen at his best on a shooting trip. And there is no doubt of his courage. A Mahomedan of the Shafai Sect, the Somali is sometimes very particular about his religious observances, but the Arab despises him as not a true Mahomedan at all. There is no occasion to detail the principal tribes, which are split up into innumerable sub-divisions. But mention must be made of the Midgdns, an outcast tribe of professional hunters. They hunt with bow and poisoned arrow, sometimes with dogs, and are wonderful trackers. As to the provision which the country makes for the hunter : the principal game to be met with in Northern Somaliland comprises Elephant, Black Rhinoceros, Lion, Leopard, Chita (hunting-leopard). MY SOMALI BOOK 11 Warthog, Ostrich, and twelve species of Antelope, to wit, Greater and Lesser Kudu, Or3^x (Beisa), Swa3aie's Hartebeest, Sommering's Gazelle (Somali-^Oi(/), Waller's Gazelle (Gerenuk), Clarke's Gazelle {Dibatag), Speke's and Pelzeln's Gazelles (both Dhero in Somali), Baira, Klipspringer {Alahlt) and Phillips' Dik-dik {Sdkdro). Two other species of dik-dik are to be found in Ogaden, the Abyssinian territory immediately south of the western Hand. Of the above the shooting of elephants, which have grown scarce, has been entirely prohibited the last few years. The rhinoceros, not uncommon in Ogaden, sometimes in the summer travels as far north as the Protectorate border, but one must not expect to find any in British territory, except perhaps in one or two localities further east which are out of the sportsman's usual beats. Among the antelopes the greater kudu affords the finest trophy, while the dibatag and baira are the rarest. The commonest species are the aoul, gerenuh, Speke's gazelle and oryx, with the little dik-dik every- where except on the open plains. The lion is no longer abundant, but is still not very uncommon in some districts, while the leopard abounds, especially in the hills. The chita is not often met with. Of animals that hardly enter into the category of game the most prominent is the Spotted Hysena (Somali- wardba), and a pest he is at times ; the smaller Striped Hysena is rarer. Two species of Jackal are common. As to small game there are several species of bustard, guinea-fowl, partridge, sand-grouse and an occasional hare. 12 MY SOMALI BOOK On my present trip I might hope to meet with any of the above game except elephant, rhino, hartebeest and haira. Further inland, in the Southern Ogaden, are to be found the Somali giraffe and Grevy's zebra, and on the banks of the Webi Shabeleh the Somali bushbuck and waterbuck and the hippopotamus : all in Abyssinian territory and considerably beyond our border or the reach of a short expedition. These introductory remarks have given the caravan a good start on its first day's journey. It is time to follow. — MY SOMALI BOOK 19 me this fine fellow inevitably betrayed his humble origin. Whether in his walk, his flight, his attitudes, his general behaviour, or his language, once a myna always a myna. And yet, if I only knew, he has pro- bably even dropped the old family * name, for fear of calling to mind the tinned grasshoppers that paid his tailor's bills ! I think I like old John CompanyMyna best. Another familiar acquaintance was the drongo the Indian king-crow—who don't care nothing for nobody, but sits on the donkey's back encouraging that placid creature to flush its rider's insect prey as effectively as ever two-legged beater flushed quail for Master. Then a discordant scream of rage, and the glossy black plumage and long forked tail flash in the sunlight as we turn to see what has evoked the sudden outburst of wrath. Among the thicker trees vanishes the silent shape of a dark grey buzzard, and the little champion returns from his pursuit in triumph. The king-crow is a pal of mine, though his usual discordant note is the reverse of musical. They told me that Mandera was a good place for leopards : it was not long before I had evidence of the fact. A not inconsiderable acquaintance in India with the leopard (or panther as we call him there) has impressed me with a decided respect for his character and abilities, and this my meetings with his African brother have not decreased. Tracking down a light-footed beast like a leopard in the Somali hills is, from the nature of the country, a more than difflcult undertaking. It is usually, moreover, impossible to obtain a sufficiency of beaters * Acridotheres — Grasshopper-hunter, 20 MY SOMALI BOOK when wanted. Hence the marking down of one in his hiding place and driving him out, as frequently done in India, is rarely practicable. The usual recourse then is a bait at night. But there is generally no convenient tree to sit in, so the sportsman has resort to a zariba. Best a zariba occupied by a Somali encampment with their sheep and goats, for any leopard of the neighbourhood is certain to be aware of their presence, and as likely as not will come prowling round under cover of darkness in search of an oppor- tunity of annexing one of the flock. The flock one might imagine was fairly safe within the thick thorn fence, some 4J or 5 feet in height, and with several human beings sleeping alongside. But supply the leopard's activit}^ and daring with the stimulus of a little hunger, and he makes nothing of a leap over the thorn-fence into the enclosure and another leap out again, this time with a sheep. So it comes about that if a Somali haria (encampment) occupies a zariba for any length of time, a single leopard will sometimes quarter himself upon it and exact his toll with the utmost regularity two nights out of three, or even oftener. The tax would seem an unbearable one, but it is rarely that the Somali will take the trouble to try and circumvent the marauder. His whole wealth consists in his flocks, but an individual sheep costs little, and spite of his avarice the Mussulman fatalism of his nature endures the robbery, until one day he thinks of counting up the sheep he has lost, then curses all the robber's ancestral relatives and hurriedly shifts his encampment ! From this it can be understood that the Somali will probably welcome the Sahib who MY SOMALI BOOK 21 comes to slioot a leopard from his zariba ; but he will show no gratitude, and will demand an exorbitant price for a goat to be used as bait. The modus operandi consists in making a loophole in the zariba fence about two feet from the ground, tying a goat up immediately outside and waiting for the panther to come. It is not a sporting method, but being the only one usually possible, it has to my thinking a sufficient excuse in the amount of damage to stock caused by the depredations of leopards. And, as will be seen, it is not nearly so simple a business as it sounds ; which fact, with the darkness and the nature of the beast with which one has to deal, combine to provide an element of excitement that makes the affair not quite the cold-blooded butchery that it might at first appear. While if the leopard is only wounded, one may have some nervous work in following him up next morning. As to the use of a live goat as bait, I confess I have no scruples. The goat objects at first to being tied up outside the zariba, but it certainly does not, as I once heard stated by a man with no personal knowledge of the subject, spend the time in a state of terror. While if the leopard is killed, the sacrifice of one goat means the saving alive of many. On this occasion at Mandera my luck was out. I was sitting at a loop-hole in a neighbouring zariba at about 9 p.m., when suddenly the goat stiffened and tugged at its rope with the peculiar sneezing snort the goat tribe go in for when alarmed. I knew what that meant, had heard just one faint foot-fall. Next moment there was a rush, a gurgling scuffle, and the goat was gone ! The leopard's charge—he must have m 48 MY SOMALI BOOK from a mere " eye for country," which unciviUsed man so often, though not always, seems to possess— common with the domestic cat—has always been a marvel to me, but I have never seen it so developed as among these Somalis. The Haud, for instance, is absolutely flat and only varies according as long grass or thorn bushes predominate, stretching for miles and miles in every direction without any sort of dis- tinguishing landmark whatever.

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